Tomas Javurek ~ Index of Works

The rst human based TextToSpeech engine ever.
We remember the me when the synthesised voices started to occupy our devices (mostly PC’s). They were built as toys but they were able to bring the idea of Artificial Intelligence more real. It was long ago. After that the skepticism replaced enthusiasm of dizzy development and the users forgot, somehow. Currently Daniel breathes. Radio stations use the synthetic voices to read the news and the VoiceOver can be Your good friend. The human interprets are not needed again. Moreover, all this happens slowly but surely without any emotions. Just in the name of making service better.
The idea of TTS originated on our exhibition in Brno OFF/Format gallery. As usually we developed the Beta version (of TTS) in order to test it in a real context (the gallery) and to see the social interaction in a deepest possible way. We have also made a short documentary (16:44) from the opening.

Webbased app thematising a social engineering for confidence.
We deliberately exaggerates here such practice in order to show the deal with user ignorance.
We exhibited this work twice IRL with hacked wifi router to navigate connected devices just to this site.
Unfortunately the Czech and partly the English versions are only available at this moment. We currently work on the translation to other languages that as we hope, would bring more user’s trust.

Generation of Princesses (2011, 2014)

This collaborative project grew up from the image skepticism. In the light of devaluation of the image in general, we developed this web tool for generating the icons – Madonnas – princesses. The query for generating the picture is a kind of a personal magic – the name and a favorite color of anybody You want. The value of human (machine) creativity multiplies the possibility of purchasing generated picture.

Black (2012, 2014)

Barbora Trnková with Tomáš Javůrek in cooperation with Vladimír Veselý and Radek Lát are creating the tool for game. This game helps us to take part on rearticulating our reality on the base of revision our faith.

Computers of people from the place A are "prayering" prayers of people from the place B. B-people have device, the apparatus similar to a camera. They can upload their prayer into it. Their input vanish in Black-Box. A-people can download Handglass, Decider and Window into their computer (link) and that is how their computers start to memorize prayers of B-people (to pray as a prayer wheel). B-people see the output, more precisely the reference to the output (as photography is). This reference asks an interpretation - a projection. It's possible, that this projection deforms, really wraps reality. But it's also possible, that this function do computers themselves.

ScreenSaverGallery (2013)

In the same way as the off-space galleries are formed in this time, we created ScreenSaverGallery for exhibiting digital artworks in "site-specific" context. You can read more info about this project here.

Trust the Universe (2013)

In the framework of the "Kraj-jiné meze" exhibition theme that was focused on the boundaries of landscape, we decided take another step in our long-term cooperation with the astrophysicist Jan Mazanec. As you can see on this website or on YouTube channel we organize lectures of this scientist about contemporary astrophysical problems, mostly for artists.

Thanks to our interaction, Jan Mazanec – during last two years – wrote the text named "Global structure of Universe". We decided to publish it. We introduced the scale model of the book at the exhibition and we are currently preparing the book for official publishing.

As illustrators of the book, we wanted to work with illustration phenomena in an exhibition context and use every artistic works exhibited there to illustrate the book. Thus, a hybrid between artistic work and catalog of exhibition was created.

On the other way we used AnnaMarie application to illustrate the illustration...at the same place.

AnnaMarie (2012)

Specially for the PAF Rewind: Net Art section we developed AnnaMarie application. The visitors could download it on wireless network in the Corpus Christi Chapel.

AnnaMarie works as a camera. The user can take a picture, but the received picture is different from the taken one. The received picture comes from the other user of the application.

In the Chapel it worked only locally and the received pictures had to be from the same place. Sometimes really subtle differences originated between the taken and received pictures. The space of the Chapel started to be a little bit confused and more fluid.

We developed the AnnaMarie app for the "global" using too. If you want to download it, use links below. The android app is not tested enough and may not work properly on your device. We will be happy, if you send some info about bugs to us (use info♘metazoa.org mail).

Monument (2012)

In response to the work of famous artist John Cage (theme of the exhibition called "Na houby for John Cage") we prepared wireless installation with one minute "preloader" which appeared on every connected device trying to browse web. The "preloader" was only what the onlooker could see – there was no internet. Whole window of the browser darkened within a minute. Cover text said: "Connect to the wireless 'Monument', open the browser, navigate to Your favorite site and hold Your breath."

Libretto (2012)

In cooperation with Matej Smetana we prepared an exhibition for the gallery OFF/FORMAT. Because of the curators connected us, we started to think (with Matej) about the common topics and we recognized a lot of shared interests. When we talked about we generated some subjects of our work and started to analyze the core of them. The main core of this exhibition we found in "background process". The form how to share it with onlookers we chose from what we like. The result appeared in "audio sculpture" alternate with "silent animations" in five minutes cycles.

Motivo astratto (2011)

The first step of our project exploring the world of machines and its life energy. In one hand we are trying to recognize the machine within human and in the other life within machine. In according with the speculative theory of morphic resonance, we are trying to test any possibilities of artificial memorizing power.

Happyend, chapter IV., The Invasion to the Castles in the Air (2011)

video installation, text

The Invasion to the castles in the air contains four video installations (scenes) in the frame of security cameras and the film screenplay. The video installations used anamorphic perspective for creating the illusion for cameras and it was possible to see it on the screen in the lodge of building. On each scene you could find out part of screenplay. This work is something like a movie but movie is definitely missing. I've just kept the structure of the narrative and designed the installations like film scenes. In this situation men can watch it alike the video on website. It can be clicked on, You can jump over some parts and for example never see the end. The onlooker is moving inside the interactive environment which is defined by coder's script. I see the movement of watcher of this movie similar to the surfing on the internet. The cameras are active, control protocol run but spam box of Big Brother is full and that's why Homo Ludens can exist. We cannot control the medium of mental projection. The castles in the air are untouchable for the present. I believe, we can appear on its threshold.

Titan (2011)

short filmduration 14:53

Titan is an experimental short film. I experimented here with narrativity based on subjective but real connections. I used video material from my own archive, for example documentation from performance, short videos and so on in the first hand and in the other some downloaded videos from the sources like NASA, YouTube and some film archive – everything what I'm interesed in. This work is one of the sketches for Invasion to the Castels in the Air.

Performer (2011)

videoduration 4:22

Boredom nevermore, would like to tell. Performer is an experiment how focus to joke. Where is the border when the joke is not joke more? How many repeating is joke able to carry? How to do the performance from video?Performer flirts with advancement of irony – sarcasm – cynism and uses this tools in critical view to itself like artist, generally to medium.

LaskujMe! (2011)

How to access the "meta" level of real space? We executed a local wireless network in gallery, thus created an access hole to the "meta" gallery. Well, what do You want to do there? We developed basis for the strange communication game.

Slag (2010)

Well, the sun will never go down. Simulator of the day light with the story inside. It was part of exhibition in the BKC Galerie mladých. The exhibition called slag and originated from cooperation with Alena Kazatelová. Our common project has been inspirated from the product of blast furnace. We searched relation between contemporary factory and works of the fine art.

The Summer Motif (2010)

When the sun goes down, stipulates value of any things. By the sun goes economical wave. In two hours, with sunset in the middle, are puting on the market cups with picture of actual position of sun and with the actual time. The value of cup with actual time is the highest, the cups with expired time are cheaper and cheaper. The sunset crush down the fixed value of future.

Alongside (2010)

installation

This piece is about a searching the clown inside art. Is possible to take the behavior of artist seriously? Who is the clown. The artist, onlooker, participant, situation or artpiece? Is it ok to ask this way? Is anybody clown? Exist a differnece between the clown and magus?

Sponge (2010)

The sponge is the installation sucking surrounding atmosphere and projecting it back. It works like mirror standing against the other mirror and you can be between them. In one moment, if you are careful enought, you can see your 3D digital projection and look in your own eyes.

Is it possible, that I`m sleeping now? (2010)

The work with the basic question: Is it possible, that we are sleeping now? contains three short videos and the text (sorry, only in czech). The videos could be sensed like one film or three individual works reaching the borders of performance-art, video-art and trick film. The text, which is wrotten like dramatic piece, compose with film the complex with internal subjective structure. This structure is growing from the basic question. The work wants to erase internal borders between the reality, dream and fiction.

Velká Býteš 3000 (2010)

video installation

Installation could simulate the backward projection. I am asking here: what is the miracle? I am finding the clown. He is the substantion of our reality and the miracle cannot be possible without him. Where is the truth?

Rubber – screen saver (2010)

video

I used my last video experimentations and created a short flashback in one piece. I put everything together and abandoned to intermix. It created automatically new stories. I used some screen server principles in programing of application. It was exhibited in classic cinema KINO VYŠKOV.

I woun't give back the Things there (2010)

video installation

The gallery space I left empty. There was nothing. I used just the windows for install black boxes. This balck boxes projected videos on the wall wich was outside. There was two video pieces played in loop. One of them contained any sound and black frames. The videos were with different duration, thus it created different stories in its relation. The pieces were called "japanese maple" and "waltz".

Wheelbarrows (2009)

object, width 3,2m

Skier, Suicider (2009)

audio / videoduration 53s, 36s

This videos belong to works explore the possibilities of performance and its recording. The core of this pieces is that we can hear something is happen but we cannot see it. There is a advance between voice and picture.